Certified Classics Announces Inaugural Release Of Vinyl Reissues

New York, NY (Top40 Charts / Legacy Recordings) Certified Classics announced today eight new vinyl pressings available in stores everywhere on October 20. These titles represent some of the greatest hip-hop and R&B of the '80s, '90s and '00s. Several titles are presented as brand-new color variants, and three titles make their debut on vinyl.

Certified's inaugural general retail release follows the successful launch of their official web store in August, which offers additional classic albums on wax, including exclusive pressings of albums by Aaliyah, Nas, Ghostface Killah and more.

The new wave of available titles includes:
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper (2LP): The Philadelphia duo of Jeff Townes and future movie megastar Will Smith made history in 1988, releasing the first-ever hip-hop double album and winning the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance. "Parents Just Don't Understand," "Nightmare On My Street," "Brand New Funk" and more are back on vinyl, newly remastered and available on the format for the first time since its original release (ahead of the album's 30th anniversary this spring).

E-40, In A Major Way (2LP White Vinyl): Released in 1995, In A Major Way introduced mainstream audiences to E-40's unstoppable flow and bass-heavy beats. The album was well-received by fans, with singles "1-Luv" and "Sprinkle Me" both hitting the Top 5 of Billboard's rap chart and sending In A Major Way to No. 2 on the R&B chart—E-40's first of nine consecutive studio albums to reach the Top 5 of that chart.

Ginuwine, Ginuwine…The Bachelor (2LP Red Vinyl): Ginuwine's 1996 breakthrough debut album is available on vinyl for the first time ever! This Timbaland-produced classic features the seductive R&B chart-topper "Pony" (featured prominently in both Magic Mike films), the hit single "Tell Me Do U Wanna" and a striking cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry."

Mystikal, Unpredictable (2LP Green Smoke Vinyl): Mystikal was already a fixture of the burgeoning New Orleans rap scene when he signed to No Limit Records and released his sophomore album Unpredictable in 1997. Boasting guest verses by No Limit founder Master P, Silkk The Shocker and Snoop Dogg, Unpredictable became The Prince of The South's first of three Top 5 albums—and now, for its 20th anniversary, it's being re-pressed on vinyl for the first time since its original release.

DJ Quik, Quik Is The Name ("Tiger's Eye" Translucent Vinyl): Born and raised in Compton, California, DJ Quik turned heads with his debut album, released on Profile Records in 1991 after a lengthy bidding war for the promising young rapper-producer. Quik Is The Name was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and was cited as one of the 100 greatest rap albums of all time by The Source.

Fans who purchase these titles at participating independent record retailers will also receive a free custom compilation LP: Certified Classics Vol. 1. This promotional-only item is a handpicked collection of a dozen hip-hop and R&B classics by A Tribe Called Quest, Aaliyah, Wu-Tang Clan, Destiny's Child, OutKast and more!

The following three titles will be available exclusively at FYE stores:
Cypress Hill, Greatest Hits From The Bong (2LP "Clear Smoke" Translucent Vinyl): Available on vinyl for the first time, Greatest Hits From The Bong features a dozen killer tracks from the unstoppable West Coast rap trio, including "How I Could Just Kill A Man," "Insane In The Brain" and "(Rock) Superstar," plus the exclusive tracks "The Only Way," "EZ Come EZ Go" and a reggaeton mix of "Latin Thugs."

About Certified Classics
Certified Classics is Legacy Recordings' home for the celebration of Sony Music's Hip-Hop and R&B catalog. With artists like The Fugees, Maxwell, Nas, A Tribe Quest, Xscape, Aaliyah and many more, Certified aims to pay homage to the legendary innovators of Hip-Hop and R&B by preserving, curating and reissuing repertoire from the 1980s through the early 2000s.

Launched in 2016, Certified creates opportunities to discuss, revisit, and renew interest in a genre that shaped an entire culture, making the leap from a grassroots form of expression to a mainstream juggernaut with staying power. Certified provides contemporary music fans access to rare and unreleased albums, singles, remixes, photos and video footage from iconic labels that have come through the Sony label system such as Jive, Loud, Ruffhouse, J Records, Arista, LaFace, So So Def, Profile, RCA Records, Epic, and Columbia—all in an effort to tell stories that help illustrate the impact R&B and Hip-Hop have made on music and the world.

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